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Tobacco Stops With Me Supports a Tobacco-Free World for Oklahomans

May 31 Event Focuses on Choosing Health over Heart Disease

OKLAHOMA CITY – May 24, 2018 – On World No Tobacco Day on May 31, Tobacco Stops With Me, a program of the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), encourages Oklahomans to focus on the impact tobacco has on the cardiovascular health of people worldwide.

“Cardiovascular diseases kill more people than any other cause of death worldwide, and tobacco causes one of every three cardiovascular disease deaths,” said John Woods, TSET executive director. “World No Tobacco Day is an opportunity to bring awareness to our state about the risks associated with tobacco and cardiovascular disease.”

Each year, the tobacco epidemic kills over 7 million people globally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Close to 900,000 of these deaths are nonsmokers breathing secondhand smoke.

In Oklahoma, smoking kills more than 7,500 adults annually and leaves thousands suffering with chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. According to the CDC, Oklahoma has the second highest rate of death in the nation due to heart disease.

With the upcoming implementation of an increased tobacco tax in Oklahoma, Tobacco Stops With Me supports all Oklahomans trying to quit with FREE services provided by the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline. Free assistance is available to those thinking about quitting tobacco, including text and email support; phone and web coaching; and a two-week supply of patches, gum or lozenges.

By providing tools and information to support healthier tobacco-free environments, World No Tobacco Day is a great time to encourage Oklahoma quitters to choose their health, not tobacco.

Learn more about how to motivate peers to be tobacco free at StopsWithMe.com. Call 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) or visit OKhelpline.com to explore the free services available through the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline.

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About Tobacco Stops With Me Tobacco Stops With Me is a statewide campaign, funded through the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Trust, that provides an efficient, emotional and highly recognizable tobacco-free message for Oklahomans to rally around. By educating the public about the negative effects and impact of tobacco, the goal of Tobacco Stops With Me is to prevent and reduce tobacco use, and improve the health and quality of life of every Oklahoman. Tobacco Stops With Me aims to inspire individuals to make positive changes—not only for their own health, but for the health of the entire state as well.

About TSET The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations working towards shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working across the state, by cultivating innovative and life-changing research, and by working across public and private sectors to develop, support, implement and evaluate creative strategies to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve the public's health. TSET. Better Lives Through Better Health.